Frequently Asked Questions

1. What do the hoods represent?
One of the most striking, and perhaps most eerie, spectacles of the festival are the Nazarenos (based on the people of Nazareth, as the name suggests) in their tall, pointy hats and matching robes with their faces completely covered, apart from their eyes. The sight of hundreds of slow-moving unidentifiable figures in these ghostly, alarming costumes can be a little unsettling, and they are frequently compared to the Ku Klux Klan.
One can be forgiven for believing the Ku Klux Klan and the Semana Santa parades were borne of the same idea, since the costumes of both are practically identical. Despite this, there appears to be no connection whatsoever between the two, although the Nazarenos came first. The Ku Klux Klan used their costumes for disguise, for the Christian connotations and perhaps the fact they were usually white had a racial significance. Although there is the possibility that there were members of the Klan who had witnessed Semana Santa parades and took their inspiration from these, there is no defined link at all.
As for why the costumes are used in Semana Santa celebrations, the origins remain a mystery but the purpose is simple – their faces are covered in mourning, and also as a sign of shame for the sins they have committed throughout the year.

2. What is Semana Santa?
Following the death of Christ, the next important date in the history of Salamanca's Semana Santa is in 1240, when the city's first "cofradía," or brotherhood, was formed. Originally called "Los Hermanos de la Penitencia en Cristo," (The Brothers of Penitence in Christ), the religious group would later become the "Cofradía de la Santa Cruz" (Brotherhood of the Holy Cross), a brotherhood that continues to exist and partake in the celebrations today

3. What is Lunes de Aguas history?
In the 16th century, King Felipe II, who was known as a very serious and devout Catholic, was disgusted with the marginal activities taking place in the prominant academic and religious hub of Spain and banned all of the prostitutes from the city for the 40-day duration of Lent. On the Monday following Easter, which came to be known as Lunes de Aguas, the prostitutes were given the green light to cross back over the river and return to to the city. The students began to arrange huge parties on the river's shore to welcome the prostitutes back to the city and even helped them cross back over the river on boats they decorated with flowers. The rest of the day was spent eating drinking, and celebrating along the river.

4. What is Los Oficios?
One of the most unique traditions of Salamanca's Semana Santa is on Holy Thursday with "Los Oficios," a ceremony featuring a mix of the academic and the liturgical. Held in the Catedral Vieja (Old Cathedral), all of the university professors attend dresed in their academic robes and take turns holding a lighted candle in an act that has never been cancelled- even during the epoch in which Semana Santa was. Originally intended to lure worshippers, the ceremony traditionally includes a breafkast of hot chocolate and cakes.

5. What is Plateresque Architecture?
One major difference between the architecture of Spain and that of the rest of Europe is Spain's Moorish history. Spain, especially in the southern regions, boasts incredible displays of Moorish and Mudejar (Moorish-inspired) architecture- just take a look at Sevilla's Alcázar, Granada's La Alhambra, or Córdoba's Mezquita! As Gothic architecture in Europe eventually turned over to Renaissance, Spain was not ready to let go of the magnificence of its Gothic and Moorish components. For this very reason, in Plateresque buildings you will see a great deal of leftovers from the country's medieval architectural styles.While the High Renaissance was essentially a structural architectural movement, the Plateresque branch focused on the decorative side. For this reason, extremely stylized façades featuring the integration of sculptures, busts, and floral and organic motifs are the most common feature of the Plateresque style.